Preliminary results show Democrats doing well in Eagle County

With more than half the ballots of registered voters cast and counted as of 7 p.m., Eagle County appeared to be doing its part to keep Colorado blue Tuesday — or at least purple.

Preliminary election results from the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s Office in the 2014 general election tallied 13,637 total ballots out of 26,933 active registered voters.

Of those, incumbent Democrat Mark Udall got 7,086 votes to 5,659 for Republican Cory Gardner in the U.S. Senate race being watched nationally as the GOP tries to take over control of the upper house of Congress.

In the race for governor, Eagle County voters preliminarily gave the nod to incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper (7,746 votes), with Republican challenger Bob Beauprez coming in a distant second with 5,174 votes.

In a closely watched state Senate race that could tip the scales toward Republican control, Eagle County voters went with Democrat and former Vail Town Council member Kerry Donovan (7,613 votes) over Republican challenger and Orchard City (Delta County) Mayor Don Suppes (5,076).

Democratic incumbent Diane Mitsch Bush was more narrowly ahead of Republican challenger Chuck McConnell in the state House District 26 race, 6,459 to 5,698.

Republican sheriff’s candidate James Van Beek was leading Democrat Daric Harvey 6,543 to 6,164, and Democratic incumbent coroner Kara Bettis was up on Republican challenger Sue Franciose 6,599 to 6,131.

In the nonpartisan Avon Town Council race, Megan Burch was the top vote-getter with 464, followed by Sarah Smith Hymes (446), Matt Gennett (420) and Scott Prince (368). The top four out of a crowded field of 10 win seats.